7 staff of St Judes Convent School arrested

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 23

Taking action against the school management in the recent school bus mishap case that cost the life of Ansh Vig (7), the Shahkot police have arrested seven members of St Judes Convent School, Shahkot. The arrested included Father-cum-chairman of the management.

SP, Investigation, HPS Khakh, said they were arrested for flouting the Supreme Court guidelines on school buses.

They were also granted bail on the same day. Otherwise, the police rarely take action against the school management in such cases and mostly register case against the bus driver.

The mishap took place on November 18 on the Civil Hospital road in Shahkot of the district when the school boy Ansh Vig was crushed by the school bus the moment he alighted from the bus. The boy, whose father is a school teacher, had succumbed to the injuries in the hospital. An FIR was registered against the school under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC and 177 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, after its bus crushed the school kid to death.

Following the mishap, the Deputy Commissioner of Jalandhar KK Yadav had also sought a report from the District Transport Officer (DTO) Jalandhar RP Singh. Even the DTO had also sent his inquiry report that blamed the school for violating the guidelines of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The DC will take separate action against the school management on the report of the DTO.

Station House Officer, Shahkot, Manjit Singh, said a case was registered against the management as a whole following which 10 members of local management committee of St Judes Convent School Shahkot were identified. Now seven have been arrested namely Father Jose P (chairman), Sister Preethi (principal), Sister Smrtha Jrenpes, Sister Archana, Sister Cristeena, Meena Arora and Amandeep Kaur. Three members who are still at large include Father KV Joseph, Father Yavala T and vice-chairman Jaswinder.